Archive for August, 2011

My name is Koryn and I’m the tarte™ team’s new community manager, which means I’ll be blogging and tweeting to keep you updated on the latest tarte info, newest beauty news, and the hottest – and greenest – lifestyle tends.

Before joining the tarte team I was a writer and editor at marieclaire.com where I covered both fashion and beauty – and while I do love fashion, my love for makeup up has been a lifelong obsession. I love the fact that a swipe of mascara or a dab of lipstick can instantly change your look and your mood. You could say I’m a bona fide beauty junkie.

Along with bringing you great beauty products, tarte has a team of makeup artists who will be sharing pro tips and tricks with you via twitter and this blog. You’ll get an opportunity to meet them and learn what products and tools to use in order to enhance you features. We’ll also be profiling celebrity makeup artists, well-known beauty bloggers and other industry insiders – so stay tuned!

I’m so excited to be working for tarte and want to encourage all of you to keep in touch – let me know what you’d like to read and talk about by reaching out via twitter @tartecosmetics and Facebook.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to spend some major time with True Blood’s makeup artist department head-Brigitte Myre-Ellis along with the NYC tarte and Sephora teams! I’m so excited to give you a rundown of the vampy festivities!

On Friday, the tarte team had an incredible Q&A session with the beautiful Brigette Myre-Ellis. Not only is the woman a walking billboard for her INCREDIBLE work, but her grace and humility are unrivaled in an industry of egos. She spoke about her humble beginnings, rise to success, and of course, her inspiration for the scary-gorgeous looks she creates for True Blood. Her precocious start in the industry was especially resonant for me, and after having the opportunity to speak privately with her, I felt extremely motivated to continue following my dreams in the beauty industry.

Then, before I knew it, it was Saturday, and time for tarte’s big event! Feeling super-encouraged, I was excited for what the day ahead held! There was a tarte truck passing out delicious (and organic, of course) red velvet cupcakes parked right in front of the store on Broadway in SoHo, but inside, all of the Sephora cast members (employees) had been thoroughly vampire-fied! From blood to fangs to fairy-inspired glitter, it was all there! tarte™ for true Blood™ palettes lined each and every shelf, and gothic candelabras decorated the beauty studio. The outpouring of support and appreciation by Sephora’s staff was unparalleled with anything I had ever seen and I knew I was in for an amazing day!

So, from 12pm to 7pm, myself and the other tarte artists (I had the pleasure of working with Tony, Sasha, Shari, Christina, and of course, Brian) took Soho’s makeup-savvy set from simple and pretty to gloriously gorgeous! Whether they chose a look that Brigette designed (included in the palette) or we created one on-the-spot, all of our clients loved their new looks. What made their total “True Blood” transformations even better was that they got the chance to have their palettes signed by Brigette, who had set up shop in the front of the store from 2pm to 5pm.

After hours and hours of makeup mania, with just enough time to clean my brushes in between each client, I was tired yet fantastically energized by the event. It is wonderful to be able to bestow women with a sense of pride and beauty with our high-performance natural™ products. They can feel certain that the products they are now using are not harming the earth or their bodies but also not sacrificing color or performance with the dazzling new tarte™ for True Blood™ line.

There’s really nothing better than stepping outside and breathing in that fresh summer air. If you haven’t already, then please put that gym membership on hold and utilize the great outdoors. From the West Coast to the East Coast there’s plenty to do outside to keep healthy. From hiking and kayaking to even just jogging, we can all use a little exercise and have fun while doing it. Just remember to bring water, a healthy snack, and SPF (I always wear our 24/7 lip sheer with SPF 15 in champagne brunch, too.). So get off your butt tartelettes and let’s start moving; the sun is shining, the weather is beautiful and it’s time to get active!

We tend to turn to Hollywood for fashion advice and the latest trends. So, why not trust them to try haircuts and styles they’ve previously rocked? From Blake to Emma and all those lovely styles in between, there’s no reason to take on the rest of the summer with the same ole hair style you dawned last season. Get wild and edgy with a pixie cut like Miss Watson or try a short bob with a beachy-wave like Kiera Knightly. For those of you tartelettes who can’t part with your long locks, try an easy style like Vanessa Hudgens; simple, long and straight. You can also go “au natural” like Blake Lively and flaunt your endless, wavy mane. Whatever style you choose— wear it with confidence and you’ll be sure to turn heads.

This past weekend the tarte team participated in Super Saturday 14, a one-of-a-kind designer sample sale, where all the proceeds go to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF). In addition to having a booth, Maureen Kelly appeared on QVC live from the event raising even more awareness. Even better all net proceeds from her show benefited OCRF! Despite the hot weather, our makeup stayed meltproof. We even had a few minutes to do a little shopping ourselves—all in the name of charity! We picked up an Alex Woo necklace, Alice + Olivia silk green pants, Brooks Brothers’ shirts and lots more! Check out our pictures below and find out how you can get involved here: http://www.ocrf.org/index.php